1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a wall mounted shelf that is capable of holding a flat-panel television set and associated accessories. The shelf is hollow and contains speakers mounted within the hollow interior of the shelf to provide enhanced sound production for the television.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various shelves are on the market. Many are small and do not have the capacity to hold large, heavy objects such as large, flat-panel television sets that are to sit on their original equipment manufacturer (OEM) provided feet or stand. Those steel TV mounts that are sufficiently strong to hold heavy objects normally must be secured to a wall with large lag bolts. Use of such wall anchors makes these shelves difficult to mount and is not permitted in most rental houses and apartments where the large holes left behind by these type of wall anchors when the shelves are removed is undesirable.
The present invention addresses this need by providing a shelf that can be mounted on a wall using standard screws that engage wall studs in the wall on which the shelf is to be mounted. Because standard screws are employed, when the shelf is removed, the only damage to the wall are eight screw holes that can be easily filled and repaired.
Another problem with shelves is that they sag after they are mounted on a wall, sometimes sagging just from the weight of the shelf itself and sagging even more when the shelf is loaded with heavy objects. The present invention addresses this problem by providing a unique wall mounting system that supports the shelf so that it does not sag downward, even when a heavy television is sitting on the shelf.
Further, televisions are not generally provided with high quality speakers and the speakers are often mounted within the television cabinet so that the speakers fire rearward toward the wall or toward the sides of the television, producing inferior sound and dialogue that is difficult to interpret. Sound production can be greatly improved by adding multiple and varied types of speakers that are available in the market and mounting those speakers so that they fire in a desired orientation.
However, when adding speakers to a television set, there is always the problem of where to mount the speakers so that they are properly oriented. Mounting speakers to the wall causes additional damage to the wall on which they are mounted.
Also, it is desirable to arrange the speakers so that they can be hidden from view because the speaker and the wiring leading to the speakers is unattractive. The present invention addresses these problems by providing a hollow shelf in which multiple speakers can be installed so that the speakers are aimed in the proper orientation so as to produce the best sound and clarity and so that the wiring leading to the speakers are concealed within the hollow shelf.
In addition to holding a television, it would be desirable to have a shelf where amplifiers, DVD players, cable boxes, satellite receivers, iPods® or Mini iPads®, or other pieces of equipment could be mounted in close proximity to the television and so that the wiring connecting the player and television ware concealed. The present invention addresses this need by providing additional shelf space located within the hollow shelf and opening at the front so that the amplifier can be inserted therein and having an opening at the rear so that the wiring is concealed from view.